WFAN's Wolff to speak at Brien McMahon
The Hour Online
Posted: Wednesday, November 25, 2015 6:15 pm
The Hour Publishing Company
As a nationally recognized expert in the field of sports psychology and sports parenting, Rick Wolff has for the past 15 years hosted a weekly program called "The Sports Edge" that can be heard on WFAN Radio on Sunday mornings.
Often quoted by the media about the issues that face today's young athletes, Wolff has written and lectured widely on the psychological pressures that accompany America's passion for sports.
On. Dec. 3, the Brien McMahon athletic department will be sponsoring an evening with Wolff, who will be at the school to discuss some of those issues.
Admission is free for the program which begins at 7 p.m. in McMahon's Center for Global Studies community room.
Richard Matthews, father of McMahon baseball player Andrew Matthews and member of the board of trustees of the Fairfield County Sports Commission, was the contact person in helping bring Wolff to McMahon.
Wolff has done work for the Sports Commission in the past and has previously spoken in Fairfield County, though not at McMahon.
Matthews has found that many coaches and athletic directors in Fairfield County listen to Wolff's show on Sunday mornings.
"There are so many crazy, hysterical people involved in sports circles sometimes that you feel like Rick sort of calms everybody down," Matthews said. "He's the voice of reason. I felt McMahon's community should hear from a guy likeRick."
McMahon athletic director Joe Madaffari is hoping for a turnout of around 200 people and said the event could be moved to the school's gymnasium if the attendance is bigger than that.
"The whole purpose of it is to give our families an idea of what's going on and hear from a different perspective," Madaffari said.
Four bullet points, which touch on some of the hot button issues involved in youth and high school sports, will be discussed.
Those bullet points are: college recruiting -- myths and realities, sportsmanship, abusive sports parents and parents vs. coaches.
"I am really thrilled he's coming," Madaffari added. "I think it's a great opportunity for our athletes and our parents to review some issues that are out there constantly.
"The college recruiting is extremely important because they'll hear it from a different perspective, not a coach, not a counselor, but from an individual who does this as his career and speaks continuously in front of large crowds."
Wolff, who is the son of Hall of Fame sports broadcaster Bob Wolff, graduated magna cum laude in psychology from Harvard University and received his master's degree in psychology at Long Island University.
A former professional baseball player in the Detroit Tigers' organization, Wolff served as the roving sports psychology coach in the Cleveland Indians' organization from 1990-94.
He has also worked with numerous top professional and collegiate athletes, including players from the National Football League, the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball.
Wolff has authored or co-authored 18 books, including four in the sports parenting field, and from 1995-2005, wrote hundreds of columns on sports parenting that appeared in Sports Illustrated and other well-known publications.
He has been a featured expert on Oprah, ESPN, CNN, ABC's "NightLine", ABC's "20/20", The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, SportsChannel and numerous other media outlets.
Wolff won an Emmy Award for his on-air work with SportsChannel and in 1997, co-hosted an original videotape program called Youth Sports with Hall of Fame quarterback and Greenwich native Steve Young.
Additional information can be obtained by contacting the McMahon athletic department at (203) 852-9488, ext. 11246.
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Wednesday, November 25, 2015 6:15 pm.
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